Cachipay is a municipality and town of
Colombia in the
Tequendama Province
Tequendama Province is one of the 15 provinces in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia.
Etymology
The name ''Tequendama'' means in the Chibcha language of the Muisca; "he who precipitates downward".
Subdivision
Tequendama Province comprise ...
, part of the
department of
Cundinamarca. Cachipay borders
Quipile
Quipile is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Tequendama Province of the department of Cundinamarca. The municipality borders Bituima and Vianí in the north, Jerusalén and Anapoima in the south, Anolaima, Cachipay and La Mesa in ...
in the west,
Zipacón
Zipacón () is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Western Savanna Province, part of the department of Cundinamarca. The urban centre of Zipacón is situated at an altitude of on the Bogotá savanna, the southern flatlands of the Altipla ...
in the east,
Anolaima in the north and
La Mesa in the south. The urban centre is located east of Bogotá.
[Official website Cachipay]
/ref>
Etymology
The name Cachipay is probably derived from the Chibcha
The Muisca (also called Chibcha) are an indigenous people and culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Colombia, that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish conquest. The people spoke Muysccubun, a language of the Chibchan lan ...
name for a fruit similar to the typical Colombian fruit corozo.[
]
History
The history of the present municipality of Cachipay dates back at least to the Herrera Period, from which ceramic
A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...
s have been found in the current ''vereda'' Tocarema, dated at 2750 years BP (750 BCE).Panche people
The Panche or Tolima is an indigenous group of people in what is now Colombia. Their language is unclassified – and possibly unclassifiable – but may have been Cariban. They inhabited the southwestern parts of the department of Cundinamarca ...
, who were in constant conflict with the Muisca
The Muisca (also called Chibcha) are an indigenous people and culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Colombia, that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish conquest. The people spoke Muysccubun, a language of the Chibchan langu ...
inhabiting the Altiplano Cundiboyacense
The Altiplano Cundiboyacense () is a high plateau located in the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes covering parts of the departments of Cundinamarca and Boyacá. The altiplano corresponds to the ancient territory of the Muisca. The Alt ...
to the east.
Tocarema was the site of the Battle of Tocarema
The Battle of Tocarema (Spanish: ''Batalla de Tocarema'') was a battle fought between an alliance of the troops of Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada and ''zipa'' of the Muisca Sagipa of the southern Muisca Confederation and the ind ...
on August 20, 1538, where an alliance of Muisca guecha warrior Guecha warriors (Spanish: ''güechas'' or ''gueches'') were warriors of the Muisca Confederation in the Tenza Valley, Ubaque valley and Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the pre-Colombian era. The Guecha warrior was chosen for his merit in attitude and ...
s and troops of the Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada confronted and submitted the Panche, due to their superior weaponry, cavalry and the dogs trained for war.[
Modern Cachipay was not founded until November 26, 1982.][
]
Gallery
File:Parque principal cachipay cundinamarca.jpg, Central square of Cachipay
File:Tren de Cachipay.jpg, Former train in Cachipay
File:Casa antigua cachipay cundinamarca.jpg, Colonial house
File:Casa gobierno cachipay cundinamarca.jpg, Council house
File:Iglesia Nuestra Señora del Carmen Cachipay.jpg, Church of Cachipay
References
{{Municipalities cundinamarca department
Municipalities of Cundinamarca Department
Populated places established in 1982